• Dr. John Baer, professor of teacher education, and Sylvia Baer, professor of communications at Gloucester County College, received a Best Paper award for their paper, "Gender Differences in Creativity," on April 14 at the 17th annual International Conference on College Teaching and Learning in Jacksonville, FL.
• Kathy Burd, administrative specialist, received an Honorable Mention award from the state of New Jersey Senate and General Assembly for her photo entry, “Abandoned Dreams.” Burd entered the Delaware Bay Day 2006 Photography Contest, which took place at the 14th annual Delaware Bay Days Festival, June 3 and 4. The festival, which celebrates life along the Bay, is hosted by the Bayshore Discovery Project in the historic villages of Bivalve, Port Norris and East Point along the Delaware Bay and Maurice River. Her photo will be in the traveling exhibit and will be featured in the permanent photo exhibit at Bay Shore Museum
• The School of Education received a $45,000 award from the National Writing Project for the Trenton Area Writing Project for the renewal of its seventh year of funding. This summer, 23 Trenton area teachers, spanning from kindergarten to high school, will come to Rider to participate in a four-week Summer Institute, starting July 1. Another 14 teachers will participate in two different Advanced Institutes. Participants will explore writing in various genres and examine strategies for using writing across the curriculum in such areas as social studies, the sciences and mathematics. The Institute is hosted by the School of Education.
• The Student Support Services Program (SSSP) received funding renewal in the total of $278,295 from the U.S. Department of Education for its first year of funding. This four-year grant cycle spans from Sept. 1, 2006 through August 31, 2010. The total funding of this grant award is estimated at $1.1 million dollars. SSS is a comprehensive academic support program designed to increase the performance, retention, and graduation rates of primarily first generation college students. However, this program also services students with disabilities and students who are income challenged. Overall, SSSP promotes an atmosphere that fosters students' growth and independence and provides a supportive environment that enables participants to fulfill their educational, career and personal aspirations.
• Demitrios “Jamie” Papapetros, a junior communication major and SSSP student, won the Doris Chandler Award. This $1,000 award was presented by the Association for Equality & Excellence in Education (AEEE), Inc. AEEE paid to fly Demitrios to Puerto Rico to receive this award on May 3. Queen S. Jones, director of the SSS Program introduced Demitrios to the audience of more than 200 TRIO personnel and officials from the U.S. Department of Education. This competitive award was given to Demitrios based on his academic transcript, two-page essay on how SSS has helped him reach his goals, and letters of recommendation. Demitrios was unanimously chosen by the Selection Committee as their number one candidate after reviewing the other outstanding students from SSS Programs from New York and New Jersey.